Check Out These Pictures

Mark Drews has done a great job posting pictures from high school and former reunions at the following site:

Milford HS Class of 78 Pictures

If you have pictures that you'd like to share, please send them to:

milford78@gmail.com

A Memorable Evening

Last night was the main event for our reunion and I, for one, had a great time. Around eighty people were there out of a class of 360 or so and many were spouses or dates. Perhaps a low turnout compared to some schools but plenty enough for a good party. Some, like me, have made it to all the reunions. For others, this was their first.

I always felt I had few close friends in high school and while I’ve made it to reunions, those occasions are nearly the only times I’ve seen my former classmates. As it turns out, just about everyone I talked to say the same thing. None of us felt part the mainstream and most kept in touch with less than a handful of people.

It’s been thirty years and none of us knew much about what anyone’s done in that time and yet it was not a room full of strangers. If you thought of going but just weren’t sure you’d have a good time, please reconsider next time around. We would have loved to have seen you.

I go back because reunions give me an active way to ponder my youth. While at a gathering, I talk with people that I vaguely remember riding my bus and people that I first met in the 3rd grade; people with whom I shared many laughs and people I had a crush on from afar; comrades from band with whom I shared much and individuals I barely knew.

Upon first seeing someone, it often takes a minute or so to remember them and yet at the end of the evening everyone is totally recognizable. Everyone is friendly and happy to be there and glad to see you. You laugh in recounting events of the past and in hearing others recount their own escapades in which you weren’t a part.

You learn what people are up to and it’s rarely surprising. It seems no one has changed. Looking back on who you knew them to be in high school, each person appears to have chosen a path that comfortably fits the seemingly fully-formed person he or she was as a teenager.

For the most part, I enjoyed school but the things that I hated I now find my classmates also hated and we can laugh at the angst we suffered. I’ll be pondering last night, my former classmates (both present and absent) and my youth for many days to come. It was a nice visit and I hope to see you, reader, at the next get-together.

Carol Neubrecht Seidl

Festivities Surrounding the Reunion

The reunion is right around the corner, and about 70 folks are heading in from all corners of the globe! Thanks to our social coordinator, Mark Drews, a few other informal events have been added to the weekend's schedule, giving people more time to catch up with classmates.

Here's what the weekend schedule looks like-

Friday, July 18th, 7:00-9:00 pm
Happy hour at West 59
For directions, click here
(The big band concert in Milford Central Park that was previously described is Thursday, not Friday.)

Saturday, July 19th-
2:00 pm (be on time!) MHS tour: Classes of 1963 & 1978
7:00 pm Reunion at the Lazy J Ranch
For directions, click here

Sunday, July 20th-
2:00 pm Informal get together at Milford Central Park. Bring the whole family! Maybe we could manage to put together a softball game so bring your gear if you're interested.

See you soon!

Tour of Milford High

If you're interested in seeing how MHS has changed over the years, the class of 1963 has organized a tour of the high school. They're celebrating their 45 year reunion on July 19th. They've offered to let anyone from the class of '78 join their tour.

The tour meets promptly at 2:00 PM at the main entrance of the high school.

Milford High Memories

Have a favorite memory that you'd like to share with others? Add a comment to this post. I remember laughing and marveling at the comedy of Mike Dann and Rob Isbell as they improvised on stage at the talent show.

Below is some trivia to get your 70's brain into gear:

The following TV shows premiered in 1978: Dallas, 20/20, Battlestar Galactica, Mork and Mindy, Taxi, WKRP in Cincinatti

Do you remember these gems: Fantasy Island, Match Game, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, Barnaby Jones, Good Times, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Three's Company, MASH, Monty Python (best for last)

The Saturday Night Live Cast included: Dan Ackroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtain, Garret Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner

Top Hits: Night Fever (and many others from the Bee Gees), You Light up My Life, Lay Down Sally (Clapton), Baby Come Back, It's A Heartache, We are the Champions, Baker Street, Two out of Three Ain't Bad (Meatloaf), Hot Blooded, Short People, Still the Same (Seger), On Broadway (G Benson), Come Sail Away, You Belong to Me (Simon), Count on Me (J Starship), What's Your Name (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Runnin on Empty (J Browne), Life's Been Good (Walsh), It's So Easy (Ronstadt), Turn to Stone (ELO), Deacon Blues, Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue (C. Gayle)

Big News:

- Camp David Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt
- Mass murder/suicide of Jim Jones cult members in Guyana
- Space Invaders video game released
- Serial killer, Ted Bundy, arrested in Florida
- Porn king, Larry Flynt, shot and paralyzed
- Annie Hall won Best Picture
- The US Senate voted to turn over control of the Panama Canal to Panama
- Pete Rose got his 3000th major league hit
- The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was proclaimed under pro-communist leadership
- Charlie Chaplin's coffin stolen and later found
- The first Unabomber attack at Northwestern University
- Al Unser won the Indy 500 for the third time
- Nintendo released Computer Othello

Festivities in the Works--Could Use More Help

The MHS Class of '78 reunion will be held at the Lazy J Ranch at the corner of Hickory Ridge and Highland Road. We'll be sending out invitations this week. Many people have emailed proposing other events that weekend. Suggestions include:

- informal gathering on Friday night
- golf outing
- tour of Milford High School
- softball game on Sunday

Several people have also asked about putting together a memory book with everyone's current bio.

There's a lot of enthusiasm out there and it's looking to be a fun weekend but we could use some help. If you are able to lend a hand, please contact milford78@gmail.com.

Where Are They Now Booklet

In recent days, a few people have asked if we're putting together a book containing recent pictures and bios of classmates. This would be a cool thing to have. Does anyone out there have time to work on such a project? If you're interested, please contact milford78@gmail.com.